“With its supply of helium running out, the Pentagon is funding research into alternative methods for detecting the presence of possible ‘dirty bombs.’ Helium 3 gas is employed in most of the nuclear-detection systems in use today. The rare substance is currently produced as a byproduct of the radioactive decay of tritium, a material used in nuclear warheads. As helium 3 is collected from aging warheads, the supply of the gas has dwindled as the U.S. nuclear arsenal has grown smaller.”
Source: Pentagon Funds Development of New Tech for Detecting ‘Dirty Bombs’ | Global Security Newswire | NTI